A dear and talented friend has art hanging at the Sabatini Gallery in Topeka, so we planned a day out to go see it.
Between my husband traveling for business, missing our annual RV/dog adventure to the beach, and plain old having a case of the I Hate Januaries, I was ready for fixing up and getting out! I even polished my nails - all of them! Including the ones buried in wool socks inside Ugg boots. (Except they aren’t really Ugg boots, Costco has their own version for a fraction of the cost that I like even better than the high dollar ones)
Our first stop was meeting at Jen’s. She still had her Christmas goodies up and we hadn’t seen them. She wanted to show us her friend and family display.
There were handmade ornies from her artist friends, things she or her daughter made, and pieces created at our holiday craft days over the decades.
This is one I’d painted of her dog, Cage, after he passed.
And one from the year I was a featured artist at the Festival of Trees. It was special to see decorations I’d made so long ago, lots of happy memories were tied up in them.
I should’ve gotten a photo of the whole display. She has them tied to a lit garland above a window seat.
Our friend, Shan, whose work we were going to Topeka to see, also hosts craft days in her studio. Every Thursday she invites us to do mosaics with her. This is a little house Jen made at one of those get togethers.
The gallery show was impressive, and I thought Shanna’s piece was just plain old delightful. Not only was I proud to see a good friend’s work hanging in a show that was filled with glass artists from all over the country (including Dale Chihuly!) I thought her piece really stood out in its dual design, the glass itself and the wall behind it.
Our day in Topeka included more than just Art. We went for a drive in the country to see the old farmstead where Jen spent her childhood, went out for lunch, and did some junking. Even with the bleak, washed out, Kansas in January scenes around us, it was a warm and colorful day.
I love my friends and the years we have had together!